Written by

Gayle Jo Carter

Not everyone can look like five-time Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model Elle Macpherson, who hosts TV’s new design competition, Fashion Star (Tuesdays, 10 p.m. ET/PT, NBC). But at least we can be inspired by her.

We asked Macpherson, 47, the divorced mother of two boys, 14 and 9 (their father is French financier Arpad Busson), to divulge her everyday “must-haves.”

In the bag: Like any busy woman, the Australian native stuffs plenty in her purse, though hers is often a pricey
Hermès Jipsy: a BlackBerry, mints, Revlon lip gloss (she’s a company “global brand ambassador”), photos of her sons, a printout of their schedules, passport, change purse for meter money and disposable Wisp toothbrushes.

Online Only: Five more of Elle's favorites

To sleep: “NeuroSleep, a great product with melatonin, magnesium, selenium. I have some of that before I go to bed, it works wonders. [On a plane] I have an eye mask and headphones on my ears; at home my youngest son sleeps with a sleeping mask with frogs all over in it, which he loves.”